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Hi, It depends on what the “touchy issues” motions were about. Its my understanding (as the secretary of my Executive Committee, NSW) that the motions can be rejected if they conflict with existing Bylaws. My recommendation would be to talk to the Executive Committee members first. If you can get some agreement with them than it would go a long way to getting them on the agenda. In my strata we deal with most things at a Committee Level; and only have motions put up for a vote at an AGM/EGM if it is an addition/change to common property or something we want doing costs more then $10k. Best of Luck.
Hi,
Electrical Engineer here (who designs and specifies) buildings, including NBN and lifts etc.
Its correct that the 3G network is being decommissioned.
If the building was completed in 2020, you will have “fixed lift line” provided by Telstra, but it will be though the fibre NBN equipment. You wont have a physical copper line. The issue with this is if you lose power to the building, you will also lose all telephony services in the building, including the lift emergency phone line. NB: NBN stopped providing battery backup kit with NBN years ago. One as a cost cutting exercise for the NBN rollout. But also in practice the batteries rarely get maintained and are require constant replacement every 3-5 years anyway. The industry has moved to GSM diallers for lifts since 2018.
It is strange that your dialer isn’t 4G compatible. But you can put this down to the original installer going cheapest and putting in a 3G only which would have still been plenty kicking around in 2020. The current contractor may also be looking for an excuse for “extras”. NB: If the dialler is 3G/4G compatible, the you will only have to change to a 4G sim card.
The costs @$2k is around the market rate for replacement. A quick google I have found one company in Sydney that will do for $1750.
You do need to have an emergency phone, but threatening to shut down lifts straight off the bat comes off as a strong arming tactic to me.
If it were my building, I would be looking at the very least getting a second opinion from another lift maintenance company, with a view to changing maintenance contractor long term. Contractors in our building don’t last long if they start threatening the EC with “required upgrades” instead of working with us.
You have until August 31 to change to 4G.
Hope that helps.
Hello,
I have been the Secretary of my OC for the past 15 years. I think your expectations of Committee members to keep records, let alone provide upon ransom request is wholly unrealistic. Being on the committee is an unpaid, often thankless position, held by a revolving door of owners with little experience in record keeping. You cannot compel anyone to spend their time sifting their email.
It is the Strata Managers responsibility to keep records. What has likely happened is the Strata Manager has changed, and the hard copy records were lost on the changeover from one strata manager to the next. I forced our Strata Manager to quit 12 years ago (long story). To recover the records I (alone) took half a day off work, drove across Sydney and spent an afternoon sifting through document boxes in the back of an office. If I had not done this, then all the records would have been lost. The outgoing (and now estranged) Strata Manager was certainly not going to spend hours finding and digitizing records. As Jimmy has said, its for reasons like this that compulsory retention of electronic records has been law over the last 5? years.
I would suggest that they need to personally go to the current (and previous if applicable) Strata Managers Office and obtain what they can themselves. All the best.
Hi,
We had a tenant not so long ago. Mid 50’s, single female. I wouldn’t say she had a mental health issue (She was a working GP) Once I got to know her, she was a drinker, had had a rough time with men especially and developed a persecution complex. She started with having loud arguments over the balcony with me about the inanest of things. First, we had part of the path pressure cleaned and with one end roped off for a morning. She made a big deal out of not being able to use the path and why wasn’t she wasn’t consulted and now she wouldn’t go to the gym. Ignoring the simple fact, she could exit via the other street entrance and walk to the front in 60 seconds. Then she claimed drug deals were going on because strange men were coming and going late at night. Two young lads had just moved into the penthouse unit. As often the case they would come home pissed at 1:00am, which is not uncommon for young single guys (I remember those days). They would often lock themselves out as well and would have to hang around the entrance until the other came home. Then she claimed people were harassing her on her intercom. This did happen, but as we quickly determined water had got onto the intercom and was cross calling random units (not just hers). When she would start to kickoff, I started telling her “Jill (not her real name) I’m not prepared to talk to you when you’re behaving like this. Talk to me when you’ve calmed down”. She started to after that. I could explain what the situation was, rather than what she had cooked up in her mind. We lived in peace from then onwards. Some people don’t take to strata living very well if they’ve lived their whole life in a house. Some people just want to feel heard. Your “minor” noise complaints may be perfectly valid in her mind. See if you can hear her out (but make clear boundaries that yelling/abuse won’t be tolerated). That may be all she needs. Try to explain to her that when you’re living on top of each other there will be the occasional TV noise, slamming doors, kids screaming, trades coming to do maintenance etc. Good luck.
I has a similar issue once in our block. The (non -resident) owner used the garage to store chemicals, paints, paper, bags rubbish etc for his business. We are caged, but it was an eyesore, the tenants had no where to park, and was a potential fire hazard. Check your By-Laws. Ours had a standard clause regarding “Storage of inflammable materials”. A letter from the strata manager solved the problem. They would also be in breech of the Visitor parking bylaws as well. So could also send breech notice for that also. Take photos, document everything and make the Strata Manager do all the work to remove yourself somewhat from it being a personal issue. Hopefully the risk of a $2000+ fine will be enough to make them do the right thing, But be prepared that 3x breech notices will have to go out first before you are set to escalate to NCAT for enforcement and fines (s0 I was once advised).
Keep in mind the dividing fences act also. If you paying for it, and its on your side of the dividing line, then you don’t need the other parties approval. Just make sure its professionally installed (doesn’t present a hazard); is in keeping with building (same as what is already installed); and doesn’t affect common property (lighting etc)- to keep strata happy. I’m not an expert in this so by all means get your own advice. -R
So what Exactly is the “something” they are wanting to install on common property? And where on common property?
Hi, If they are individual caged off garages, then they form part of the Lot and the Floor Cleaning would be the Lot Owners Responsibility. eg: Its not the OC’s responsibility to clean your kitchen floor. That’s not to say that the OC couldn’t arrange the cleaning of the garage floors. At my Strata we often do things above and beyond the bare minimum, just to do the job right. Having said that, you have to be realistic. Can you honestly imagine the difficulty in getting every Lot to move their car on the required date, let alone move all the stored contents? Never going to happen. The read I get from your post is that you want your garage floor cleaned. My advice, find out when the work is being done. Be at home that day. Have a chat to the pressure cleaners and offer them a carton beer to do your garage while their there. Job done.
Hello Belinda,
Austman is spot on with regard to required exits. What I can expand on the car park gate/ is never a required exit. NB: I am an electrical engineer and electrical contractor with 30 years experience and design dozens unit blocks in Sydney and interstate. A push button override is for convenience for exiting the block through garage on foot only (we have one in our block). There is not requirement for battery backup etc. If you want to limit the access to the over-ride key (which another posted correctly that it disengages the electric drive in event power failure) we have in our block a wall mounted lock key box (https://www.bunnings.com.au/master-lock-wall-mounted-key-safe_p4210912) This has the emergency key in it. Only a couple Committee Members have the code. I change our code regularly as this box also holds a set door keys (for tradies), noticeboard keys, MSB keys, side gate key etc. Hope that helps. Get those keys back!
Hi Joe50,
You are basically going to mediation (and potentially further) to request another Lot Owner to spend considerable thousands of dollars- solely based on your person opinion/feelings. You really shouldn’t be so surprised that they are unwilling to do this. Would you? You haven’t stated you have record of:
1. Trying to resolve directly with the tenants directly. From this thread you went straight from upset to demanding new flooring and evictions;
2. You have no proof of the noise, or proof that it is pervasive/intrusive (only your opinion). Do you have recordings of noises? Any professional acoustic measurement? Any diary (which will have little weight as can easily be falsified)? A signed stat dec from another neighbour saying they are also affected? Any record of a flooring change or renovation application in the strata records? etc
The onus on proof is up to you. Best of Luck, but I’m pretty sure what the outcome will be. NB: I have previously taken my OC to NCAT about floor changes and noises- and won; so can speak with some modicum of experience. Please let us now how you get on. This has been a super entertaining thread.
What is the “service” you are providing- gardening?
Hi, The biggest issue you will have is getting approval from the other owners. Not sure what look of your block is; but wont get approval if it makes the building “look odd” from the street. In our block, one owner wanted to install an awning (second floor, street side, open to sky balcony). She convinced the owner on the mirror side unit to install the identical awning at the same time. Thus keeping the appearance of the block. Otherwise it would never have gone through.
“asking what day will this happen and can I see reciepts.” The Lot Owner above has no moral or legal obligation to allow you access, notify you when works will be undertaken, or show you receipts. I don’t know why you think this is reasonable. I would consider this request quite rude and aggressive. It is exactly because of your actions to date that they are now ignoring you.
Additionally your OP is not clear what the noise issue is. Is it that they ‘slam’ cupboard doors? or front door? Maybe pump the hate breaks and instead if insisting “something be done” ASAP and threatening legal recourse; go and have a polite chat with you neighbours. Tell them its disturbing you and you would be terribly appreciative if they could not slam the doors; and hand them a $5 packet of rubber or foam door pads from Bunnings. 99% of people, if an issue is made known to them (cause I can guarantee they dont know its annoying you), asked nicely, will do the right thing.
Hi,
What is the existing kitchen floor type? Tile? Wooden? In our block the kitchen tiles from incorporation are fixed to the concrete slab, and therefore are regarded as OC responsibility. Now when you rip them up and put something else down, the maintenance and upkeep of that floor should really become the current (and future) owners responsibility for maintenance and replacement.
The issue our SM (and executive of which I am Secretary for 12 years) has is that in the years to come- who knows what is original, and what has been renovated? (20 year old block so many already done). Yes you can dig up a ‘Strata Renovation Application’ from the OC records; but the only way of truly knowing (for potential future owner, and for the current OC) is to have the bylaw added. Which puts future liability for maintenance and replacement on the current lot owner.
It is for this reason that our strata manager ‘requires’ anyone on our block (since 2016 anyway), to also stump up the $1200 for the bylaw add. I’ve seen some truly inferior DIY Renovations. Owner sells 3 months later. Then in 18 months new tiles in bathroom start coming up, showers leak etc. Becomes a huge and costly sh*t fight between OC and new owner. Your SM is just doing the right thing by present and future building owners.
I know it add $$ to your reno personally. But this pales into the potential costs to the OC (and hikes in strata fees) in the future. The last couple of renovator bylaws we (the OC) have gone halves with the lot owners as we have updated some of the OC bylaws at the same time (more detailed by laws on pets, parking etc).
Cheers, R